Airborne 12.09.16

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Airborne 12.09.16

Companies Trying To Save Money Hiring Foreign Workers

A Dallas/Fort Worth television
station investigation is continuing to reveal that,
potentially, hundreds of aircraft mechanics brought to the U.S. may
not be qualified to do the work.

WFAA [Interesting, no? Ed.] is reporting that
industry insiders told them that some of the companies are so eager
to save money that they have overstated the qualifications of many
mechanics from Mexico, The Philippines, Chile, and other places.
The mechanics are hired to work on commercial airliners at San
Antonio International Airport. Some are reportedly temporary
workers picked up on a special bus provided by San Antonio
Aerospace (SAA). The station followed one of the buses and
talked to the mechanics working for SAA, but they would not say how
much they make. Sources told the station they are paid a cut-rate
wage for the work.

A former SAA mechanic told WFAA that the foreign workers got
their training on the job from American workers at the facility.
"The more experienced mechanics, we would get paired up with either
one or two of these guys,” he says. “And they would
watch us for a month or so. And that’s how they would get
their training.” Another witness told the station that some
of the workers were as young as 16.

The station submitted written questions to SAA and received
stock answers, according to the report. A primary subcontractor,
Aircraft Workers Worldwide based in Daphne, Alabama, referred the
staton to their attorney.

A former judge in Dallas told the station that the companies
involved could potentially face serious questions.